H2H FIGHTING: What the Hell Happened to Traditional Values in Martial Arts?

I was having lunch at the chow hall with some of my boys the other day when one of the new guys sat down and joined us. As usual with all new guys we made fun of him for a little while then interrogated him about his background listening carefully for any BS.

Anyway the kid ended up being a good dude that took it all in stride and yapped about his background and hobbies. As with most guys in this line of work the subject of past/current Martial Arts training will eventually come up. Well this dude mentioned that he had been training in some sort of Kung Fu since he was a kid.

Well that opened the flood gates of “Kung Fu is worthless on the streets” to the inevitable “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the best Martial Art in the entire galaxy” to my response of “Who gives a shit, you guys sound like a bunch of nerds arguing about Star Wars VS Star Trek”, then Laughter…

The above (and my rant below) is why I haven’t stepped a foot in a dojo in over 10 years, all of the childish chest thumping about this Martial Art VS that Martial Art is gay. Back in the day when I first started training in Martial Arts it was about learning something that was new and challenging (and cool) that people had been teaching for centuries.

It didn’t matter if Ninjawondo was suitable for a street fight in South Central LA or would get you laid in a bar – it was about the process of learning and mastering something to the point of near perfection. It was almost (without sounding like a hippie) a spiritual experience, and exactly what I needed as an undisciplined young man.

These days Martial Arts seems to be all about who can “fuck each other up on the streets” – now besides the fact that 99.9999% of Martial Arts practitioners don’t get into fights “on the streets” that sort of gangster-ass attitude has no place in a dojo. I long for the days of bowing to your sensei, training for an hour and shaking everyone’s hand at the end of the class.

Back then Martial Arts discussions were about technique and style not calling each other names or disrespecting other styles of Martial Arts. My Old School Taekwondo instructor had my ass scrubbing the dojo floor for 6 months when he heard me disrespecting another Martial Art. And that experience shaped the Martial Arts values that I still hold to this day – Respect, Honor, Integrity, Honesty and “Carry Yourself Like a Gentleman in a competition”

Now I see people in dojos throwing their hands in the air when defeating a fellow classmate and yelling “yeah baby, get some!” while the instructor claps his hands laughing. That shit makes me sick to my stomach. Martial Arts are about learning, discipline and grace – not about acting like a fake tough-guy Douchebag in a super tight Tap Out T-shirt arguing on the internet about how MMA is the end-all in Martial Arts training.

Besides, in the end my 7 dollar can of pepper spray trumps your 20 years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training – so be a dignified Martial Artist and act like a gentleman, then when you are rolling around on the floor yelling “it burns” no one will say “That super tight Tap Out t-shirt wearing Douchebag deserved to get his ass pepper-sprayed”

To me this is martial arts – sure, its not flashy, they don’t make t-shirts that say “I love blood” on it, and telling a gal in a bar you do karate probably wont get you laid – but this is martial arts

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~James G
Founder – Editor in Chief

James G is a Veteran Civilian Contractor who has worked in the Middle East and Southeast Asia for way too long; he has traveled to over 50 countries chasing fortune and glory. He spends his off time in Indonesia and Virginia getting drunk, shooting guns, writing poorly written articles and learning a martial art that is worthless on the streets. James G. on FACEBOOK

55 thoughts on “H2H FIGHTING: What the Hell Happened to Traditional Values in Martial Arts?”

Amen! I might add one thing to your statement about 99.999% of martial artists who don’t get into fights on the street, one of the things we learned in martial arts was how to spot a situation and stay away from it.

That force was the last resort and that it was SLEF DEFENSE, not trying to see who is the most badass on any street. The ones who were looking to find a fight were always washed out and left very quickly.

Or they took a few ass-whoopins from Sensei in a sparring match to tone down the ego a little bit and learn what it’s all about. but it was and should still be about mutual respect. Well written brother. Keep up the good work

Damn brother! That is awesome! It’s very hard these days to find a legit dojo that delves into the spirituality and essence of the art rather than the over-inflated ego and wallet!

I’ve always told my Marines that it is the true Warrior Mindset that will win a fight. If your 20 years of whatever art is backed by egos and t-shirts, a true warrior will hand you your ass! Great article!

Your spot on with this one James. I thought maybe I was just getting old or something because like you some time ago I signed up with a course in Taekwondo and master Shinn was hard core old school, he interviewed you before you could start and a lot didnt make it because they just wanted to be billy badasses.

He would teach with not just moves for self defence but how the moves could be use to prevent injuries at work ect. He even told you in the interview that if you were ever caught being aggressive or picking a fight he would deal with you himself.

Since that time I have looked around but when you set down to watch the class and they are yelling like there in the hand to hand pit then about that time you see a yellow plant a full contact high kick to the throat…well no thanks and as you said the pepper spray will do me just fine

Slick article bro… I have a kid that works with me, does MMA, kids fucking huge,, had a guy walk up to him in our prison yard and straight nailed his ass in the nuts, kicked the kid so hard it lifted him off the ground, after it was all said and done, we were leaving shift and he looked at me and said “never saw that shit coming”…

I FULLY AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK MARTIAL ARTS HAS LOST ITS SOUL,OLD TRADITIONAL VALUES DONT MEAN TOO MUCH TODAY.FOR ME ITS NOT ABOUT WHO,S SYSTEM IS THE BEST IT IS ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN SOMETHING THAT ADDS VALUE TO MIND BODY AND SPIRIT.NOT THIS MINDLESS EMPTY CRAP DISHED UP BY HOLLYWOOD

great book and good resource. Are there poeple out there who really ask why standing practice ? The backbone of the chinese arts is standing to build power. If you don’t believe this, you have never went at this seriously, or you simply can’t get out of your own way. Stand-breathe in and out the top of your head through your spine-no thinking, guiding, or controlling, just see what shows up and later-much later-try more advanced methods. After the initial mental and physical discomfort, life is great. No amount of forms and drills, or anything else,can take the place of this one aspect of training. As it says in one famous and astoundingly great taiji book, Standing IS the martial art .

Not sure I agree. Oh, I agree there are a lot of people like those you describe and “dojos” or whatever that claim to teach you how to conquer the enemy of your choice, but there are also many very serious martial arts schools and instructors today who teach useful stuff to serious students. I make knives for a living and supply them to people who are very expert in their use as well as many who are trying to be, including a goodly number of special operations personnel.

I recently had the opportunity to attend a gathering of instructors from 11 countries who were themselves receiving training in their style of Filipino Martial Arts. One thing that impressed me most, besides the obvious skill demonstrated, was that the head of the school bowed to each student/instructor before he demonstrated a particular move. The old ways aren’t dead, they’re just obscured by all the high profile BS.

As for the others, we call them Mall Ninjas, distinguishable by KungFu T’s and flashy knives.

Sadly you are correct James. There are few and far between old school traditional teachers around anymore. They retired and left in their wake guys whose skills are above average but lack, either by lack of capacity or choice, the traditional values and spirituality that they were once taught. And they produce people just like them and sometimes worse.

I prefer studying the various Martial Arts that I study, abroad. (which I really recommend) That is really aside from the very few places in the states where you can go for traditional values. Plus it is always nice to get your arse handed to you by people whose ancestors helped create the art.

But some of these guys, these wanna be cobra kai D-bags will never get it. They sit there with there lame Tap Out shirts, or UFC shirts and brag and start fights and carry on like Aholes. You can take solace in the fact that one day with all their talk they are going to meet someone that is better than they are and will hand them their ass. Sadly though, they won’t learn anything from it.

You do have a point; but if you want to know why MMA became more popular than TMA, then I’ll tell you.

Basically, people found out that the TMA’s taught at 99% of the corner storefronts aren’t particularly effective. While respect and discipline should have a place in martial arts, they need to be martial in addition to being arts. Respect and discipline should be a byproduct of training. The ability to defend oneself should be the goal.

MMA may have forgotten the 1st, but TMA’s forgot the second. Taking 7 year olds money while awarding them a belt a month for 18 months, and giving them a black belt and a FALSE sense on confidence is just as bad as teaching a teenager MMA with no sense of respect, but at least giving him the confidence that he can defend himself.

I noticed the change when the strip mall dojo popped up . Thats when martial arts classes were turned into after school day care. And the creation of Black belt douchebagus didn’t help . That s because you were almost guaranteed a black belt in 2-3 years. So 70 to 80% of black belt aren’t disciplined masters of a art but strutting dickbags who are convinced this is a good thing and teaching it to hyper active 8 year olds. GREAT just what I needed another generation of fake tough guys trying to bump me as they walk passed. Well, I guess thats their mistake picking a with a Old School Man.

Well done. I agree completely. I spent 2 hours at My Jujitsu Dojo last night. I’ve been with them off & on for over 13 years. It has changed Me & made Me who I am today. I & some of the other guys try to train “Outside the Box” when we can. We study a more traditional style of Jujitsu, but try to play with it & make it work for us in other environments & realistic settings. At the end of the class we are all close friends & show up most respect to each other our Sensei & the community. Situational Awareness, Avoidance & Brains 1st. Then Ill fall back on My training. (hand to hand, edge weapon, Pistol or improvised) its good to know there’s a few of us like minded people still out there.
p.s. I hate “Tap Out” wearing disrespectful tough guy fucksticks

When I was a kid my mom dumped my brown ass in a BJJ dojo so I wouldn’t get said brown ass kicked by a bunch of white supremacists (old europe in the 90’s wasn’t a nice place). There I got my ass kicked by grown men for five years until I myself was a grown man and could hold my own.
However, no-one disrespected my skinny brown ass while it was being flung across the mat. Instead they offered advice and good training (well, sensei on many occations told me to gain 40 pounds, but even that is advice). I got better and more confident. I have yet to use my skills in BJJ to kick anyone’s ass on “tha streets”.

However, a bit of friendly banter with mates who do other martial arts is not disrespect. Is it, like you point out, like comparing Star Wars to Star Trek or discussing football. Something for men to talk about (to a point).

That was spot on! I have studied in small dojo’s over the years in several different styles. I always felt best in Dojo’s that were traditional, with respect for all an important factor. All styles have plus and minus parts to them, but, blending makes a powerful style. After fifteen years what you learn is responsibility and respect, along with awareness and intuitive instinct. which is how you stay safe in this world. Thanks again for the great article!

Loved the article! Don’t wear Tapout or Affliction clothes cause I don’t want to be affiliated with the douchebags! I like MMA but know that most MMA schools don’t really teach Martial Arts the same way a Traditional Martial Arts school teaches them. What you learn in an MMA school is for fighting in the ring not protecting ones self. TMA teaches self defense, honor, responsibilty & respect for others, no matter what MA they practice.

I started out only looking at martial arts from a sport perspective. MMA interested me as a former athlete, so I gave it a try. Over the years I’ve found myself becoming more and more traditional. A friend and I are in the middle of opening a gym, and we are looking to capture that old school vibe. We both have good jobs, so it is not about the money. I doubt we ever turn a profit. We just want to have a place that we can call our own, and we can pick and choose who we train with. That being said, another commenter was right. The McDojo craze is what killed TMAs and it was why I was never interested in them. I gravitated towards BJJ, Judo and Muay Thai. I’m not focusing on more reality based combatives. (I’m not calling it Krav Maga because they have already fucked that up.) Love the site. Keep up the good work.

Great article and right on target, but while the d-bag behavior garners headlines, there are still many schools still carrying on old school fashion, with respect, integrity, and discipline. Our local Kajukenbo school comes to mind as one of the good ones.

Great article and right on target, but while the d-bag behavior garners headlines, there are still many schools still carrying on old school fashion, with respect, integrity, and discipline. Our local Kajukenbo school comes to mind as one of the good ones.

Ken:
That’s cause we express “Kokua” & “respect Ohana”. I study Danzan Ryu Jujitsu & American Kenpo. Kajukenbo having also come from Hawaii (& roots in the mentioned arts) share the same principles & ethics. I’ve trained with some Hard Ass Kaju guys. At the end of the day some of the most polite & sincere people I’ve ever met. I dig seeing all the post on here. It proves we’re still out there!!
Malama Pono!

I look at it this way, MMA retards have been choked out so many times, they’ve got permanent brain damage from oxygen deprivation. I can remember way back when, in the Dim Times, this Mixed Martial Arts hoopla started as a way to critically examine each martial art and refine it. Then it turned into a money making machine for the Gracies. Now it’s replacing boxing.

Now, if a “special needs” person in a piece of Tapout gear decides that he is going to kick my ass, I simply beat him unconscious with my enormous penis. Then I do awful, wrong things to his girlfriend, and piddle on his $200 sneakers while he lies there drooling.

My Kung-Fu teacher was so old-school every training was like watching an 80s Honk Kong Kung Fu movie (you know the part where the old master with the massive moustache makes the young apprentice do insane amounts of rediculously painfull exercises so that he may fight the final bad guy).

If you didn’t know how to respect your elders he would literally beat it into you with a bamboo cane. And for every minute you were late to class its 10 push ups. Needless to say, in our practise sessions no one was ever late and no one ever talked shit. Yet at the same time he’s one of the smartest, nicest and most humble people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet and train with and I will never forget his two credo’s:

“Kung Fu translated into english means ‘hard work’ ”

“Pain is just weakness leaving the body”

I still live by that whenever I do any form of martial arts or sport.

Martial arts without respect for your the ones who came before you, your teacher and your fellow practioners is just brawling, plain and simple.

The last tournament in which I competed was Sensei Cecil Peoples March Madness in Encino, California back in about 2000. As I was awaiting my match in the sparring competition, a competitor who felt as if he’d been fouled snatched of his headgear, threw it at the ring official and screamed, “What the f**k was that?” I was older than almost anyone in attendance at that tournament and remember the days when martial arts was all full contact, that there was respect evidenced for opponents and officials and such conduct as I described would have earned one a quick ticket out of the dojo. That’s why it was my last tournament.

I do MMA and recently moved to Muai Thai and frankly it doesn’t matter what your style is, you come and hold your ground you are welcome.

Keyboard cowboys can continue to do what they do best. That being said most martial arts schools are quite pathetic, you don’t do full contact against a resisting opponent then how the hell do you actually train.

The problem with martial arts that you have too many dancers who claim that they can beat multiple opponents through superior technique. BS, your biggest advantage is strength followed by size.

But you have a couple of mostly “sport” oriented types that are simply good. Don’t mess with anybody who has done years on the mat doing anything wrestling oriented (this includes judokas), boxing and kickboxing okes usually have the broken noses to prove that they actually know how to punch and take it.

Have a problem with styles that are so deadly that they can’t even train. If they have secret techniques reserved only to older (paying) students then you know it is a scam. If the coach has a fancy titles combined with a big beer belly and never spars then you know they are after your wallet. 95% of fighting is cardio, you cannot get fat and be a good fighter that trains every day, not possible.

Let me not even get started about fairytales of seventy year old gurus that can beat anybody.

THANK YOU! I have been saying that for years. We were poor (start violin music here) so we couldnt afford martial arts training. I would accompany my friend to his Tung Su Do class and try to learn as much as I could by watching. First thing they did, was bow to the flag, then to the master and then walk onto the mat. They would shake hands after with every kid regardless of belt and bow every time they left the mat.

Now, they walk on and off make fun of people and generally act with no respect. Granted this was in the mid 80’s, but if you were caught getting out of line, he had a cane and you would have to put your hands out, palms down and count off as you got whacked (hanna, du, set – I dont know if this is spelled right). And I mean hard, not no pussy whack. Then he would PT your ass for the rest of the class. If it was the end of the class, then he would PT your ass for the whole next class.

Now I am a big fan of MMA, but where the hell is respect and dignity. To win with it or to lose with it? At first I just thought it was the UFC trying to pump up ratings by creating rivalries like boxing does, but look at Nate Diaz above and he is a straight up gangster from Fresno or Stockton along with his brother. Great Jiu Jitsu guys, but not much respect for anything.

I think back to the movie “Enter the dragon” Bruce Lee talked back then about “style with no style” Isnt that in itself MMA? He pulls off an armbar in that movie and I remember being all about the age of 6 and I was like that was cool.

Now since I literally have never been in a martial arts class and my fat ass is huffing and puffing when I do your fricken stair exercise every day here at work (by the way, I dont look at the stairs anymore), but I was able to learn that dignity and respect not only for myself, but for others. I wish that the MMA coaches would keep that a part of the training regimen and kick out those who do not abide by the rules. If not, it’s like prison. We are creating big, trained jerkoffs who will take your money or kick your ass just for drill.

What was the line from one of those Kung Fu Theater movies? “You have offended me, my family and Shaolin Temple and now you must die.”

Anyway, you get the drift. Im going to go boy some pepper spray. haha

Again, great job James, you seem to have a knack for putting out good subject matter at the right time.

Great article James – the world could do with more of this kind of attitude as it is severely deficient in the concepts of honor and respect.

Oh and whenever someone says to me that such-and-such combative/martial art (as used by CAG, DEVGRU and totally high speed mall ninjas) is the only H2H system that works “On The Street”, I always use the immortal line that Jax Teller uttered on Sons Of Anarchy: “When’s the last time you were on “The Street”, pal?”

Being the father of two girls, and living in a metro area, not giving them the tools to protect themselves was out of the question. I studied TKD when I was a kid, and knowing that it lacked all the extra ‘dancing’ felt it was the correct route for my girls. It took three schools to find one that wasn’t taught by the idiots described in the article. Even then it didn’t help. One night I had to draw down on several of the so called ‘graduates’ of the chosen school who felt that being the bad ass brigade was the way to be. H2H is a young man’s game and “I just ain’t that young no mo”. Their multi grade Black Belts did nothing to help them control their bladders. Long and short even ‘old school training methods’ wont help when the student is just another run of the mill punk.

I remember 1970’s mas oyama, gogen the cat yamaguchi,bill superfoot wallace,chuck norris,bruce lee, ed parker, Ron vanclief etc.. respect and discipline was what it was all about.MMA is just a sport and not true self defense.These days it is about protecting ones family.JKD,KRAV Maga, CQC are probably the best.

You do have a point; but if you want to know why MMA became more popular than TMA, then I’ll tell you. Basically, people found out that the TMA’s taught at 99% of the corner storefronts aren’t particularly effective. While respect and discipline should have a place in martial arts, they need to be martial in addition to being arts. Respect and discipline should be a byproduct of training. The ability to defend oneself should be the goal. MMA may have forgotten the 1st, but TMA’s forgot the second. Taking 7 year olds money while awarding them a belt a month for 18 months, and giving them a black belt and a FALSE sense on confidence is just as bad as teaching a teenager MMA with no sense of respect, but at least giving him the confidence that he can defend himself. (Quote This Comment)

THIS!

i got lucky i guess with the tma i chose 14 years ago, shaolin kung fu… not wushu for show, kuoshu for application. but this post is very true. good article too. always hilarious when the guy wearing the tapout shirt gets tapped out even on tv it’s funny

I was lucky to have had a phenomenal instructor (traditional) back in the day when I started Tae Kwon Do. It was a traditional class; bow to the flags, bow to your instructor kind of thing. Just what a slightly bored and angst-ridden teen like me needed at that age. I made good friends, learned a ton, and had practical and non-practical techniques hammered into me every class. Yeah, we had to do forms… and to me, they made sense. It was a good experience.

Then I met a Gracie Jiu Jitsu student that literally turned my world upside down; same drill… I think that TKD is the shit, and then I get grounded and pounded… flopping like a fish, and freaking the fuck out that all the time I spent training was for shit. Later in life, although I am a far better ground fighter than I was a TKD sparrer, I feel like the traditional training experience was more valuable. I learned respect for myself and others, dedication, courtesy, and true sportsmanship, and I carry it with me to this day.

The MMA Culture (tribe if you will) of Tapout shirt wearing, Muscle Milk chugging, shitty tattoo having douchebags is distinctly retarded, and based solely on profit. How much money can every screen printer around the country make with belt-printed grunge tshirts with skulls, brass knuckles, guns, wings, and clever slogans (don’t forget to distress the graphic so it looks antiqued)? Just go to a local bar on MMA night, and you’ll see. Talk about the antithesis of the Grey Man.

The only thing I can say is that the “my blah blah blah is more lethal than your fill in the blank” will distinctly limit your ability to evolve, and I reckon ends up getting your ass handed to you by someone that has taken a more open-minded approach.

The Tao of Jeet Kune Do is a great book by Bruce Lee, and one that I still paw through today. He was a man with an open mind, that truly incorporated anything that was effective into his repertoire. You can’t help but pity the “get some!” meatheads that will never have the opportunity to truly understand what martial arts (any martial art) can do for you.

Note: There are some really nice, low key, “hell of a guy” MMA fighters out there (some of whom I’ve met) that I would not categorize as the douches above. I’d assume that most started their career in a way more traditional training environment.

Another thing. It’s too bad that Tapout gets a bad rap now because of douchebaggery associated with the people that wear it. Charles “Mask” Lewis was from what I heard a hell of a guy, and I’m sorry that Tapout now is directly connected with douchebag.

Wasn’t in Hells Angels by Hunter S Thompson where he said something about well trained boxers knocking out the pampered martial artist? Same analogy just different times and circumstances. This article is spot on. Belt factories seem to be popping up everywhere. Truth is most of us avoid real situations like the plague and frankly if I cant avoid you and your bs by the time you are 1/2 way through telling me about how “MMA” you are I will have already made several decisions and actions and then will be leaving. Again a SPOT ON article thanks James.

Amen Brother. I began studying Jeet Kune Do at the age of 5. I still remember the interview with Sensei, my parents by my side, many questions and promising to abide by certain rules. When I was 8 I wiped the floor with a kid who was bragging about how much better taekwondo and his Sensei where. I went to class the next evening, my parents already ratting me out, to sever calisthenics the whole class. When everyone else was done with their lesson they were treated to an exhibition by Sensei and I. It was brutal needless to say. I learned a lot about what makes a man from that experience. I feel we’ve lost a lot of that in martial arts today. Keep preaching bro……

Great article! I was taught at a traditional dojo. I have had my own traditional dojo now for over ten years. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. Most of the people that “go” don’t like the “respect” part of traditional arts. We have a written policy [that students sign] at our dojo that allows for the dismissal of someone after a 30 day trial period. That time allows us to determine why that student wants to learn and take action if we feel it is for the wrong reasons. Most people know what I’am talking about, and if you don’t you might be one of those people. I can say that the students that study at our traditional dojo are great people and will be, or already are productive citizens in our community. The “douchbags” don’t stick around or don’t make it through the trial period. Real traditional dojos [I know they are hard to find] produce truly good people and some awesome fighters when they need to be. You will find this in most Uechi-Ryu dojos. I did say most.

This is very well put. In this day and age the idea that a person is an uber badass because they spent some time in a dojo is patently ludicrous. The adversary confronting you on the street is not going to square off and put up his dukes. In all likelihood they are not even going to be confronting you with a knife or club. They are either going to put a pistol in your face or they are going to rush you and hit you on the head with something knocking you unconscious before stealing your wallet. The only time any martial art is going to be of use is in some kind of a bar fight situation. Not to mention the fact that if you are in a bar fight where no one has a weapon and you have six black belts in NinjaKwonJitsuDoKahn and win the fight (or even lose the fight) you will likely end up in jail because the prosecutor will be able to make a case that you were “Looking for Trouble”.
Martial Arts is wonderful for things like discipline, focus, and fitness all of which will save your life if the crap hits the fan but, being able to do a jump spinning back kick or perform a “perfect” arm-bar is not going to help you against an armed foe wishing you harm. If you want to be safe, secure, and in position of your wallet then simply be aware of your surroundings, don’t get intoxicated, and don’t be where you shouldn’t be. If you follow those rules as well as obey the law and carry lethal, less lethal, and non lethal means of self defense pursuant to the laws of your area you will be able to avoid the majority of situations where martial arts training would come into play.

You are correct, sir. Most MMA douche bags want to audition with WWE, UFC, Strikeforce or someother entertainment venue.

The club fucks that think they are tough cry, when you tell them no trophy for playing a game. They lack manners but expect everything because they are there; where ever the hell there is.
Since I don’t go to clubs, my drinking is done at home with people I like, not with strangers that I don’t know and therefore don’t trust.

I was a bouncer for a couple solid years at a college bar (College bars IMHO are some of the toughest bars out there… super fucked up (drugs/drinks) college kids that don’t have any experience, and don’t care about or think of consequences.) Perfect spin kicks mean shit. A real barfight (I’ve seen way to many as a bouncer) can be truly brutal as hell. Fuck clubs and bars anyway… it’s like 90% douche/10% decent folks in most of them.

“arguing on the internet about how MMA is the end-all in Martial Arts training.arguing on the internet about how MMA is the end-all in Martial Arts training.”

I hate it when people say MMA is a martial art, they talk like the culmination of training is a singular martial art. BJJ is my favorite of the techniques I’ve tried and trained in and I’m quite competent; but I would love to have the money to train in other forms.

ABSOLUTELY!!! In January, I went up to Atlantic City (culture shock because I’m a backwoods country boy) for a big martial arts clinic and event. I met an Aikido instructor up there that absolutely typified the martial artist of last century. VERY humble, respectful, and personable. He taught his techniques, spoke not of himself but of his instructors and what his art has done for him and how it integrated with the other arts the organization to which he belongs offers… not “i can do this….” (read: “I have a tiny pecker and must inflate my ego to compensate) or “my style is better than every other out there…” rhetoric. I’ve been a practitioner of the martial arts damn near all my life, my goals used to be that black belt… Honestly, getting my master’s stripe helped me grow up more than anything else. I almost instantly realized that the arts weren’t about history, or technique, or effectiveness, or rank, medals, or glory… In the end, they are about showing you yourself… and making you better than you were yesterday.

I am eternally grateful to my instructors for allowing me to learn that lesson for myself.

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